L’estat-nació del poble jueu lluita des de la seva fundació per la supervivència front als propòsits genocides dels successius règims àrab-musulmans (que compten amb el suport de tots els règims totalitaris, ara articulats en l’eix Palestina-Iran-Rússia-Xina). Des de fa gairebé onze mesos l’agressió multidimensional és més forta que mai, però també la capacitat de resistència d’Israel en termes militars i sociopolítics. Uns aspectes incomprensibles pels polítics i mitjans nostrats, incapaços d’assumir el conflicte pel propi alliberament nacional com han d’entendre la causa d’Israel.
En plena guerra el debat al si de la societat israeliana sobre la pròpia continuïtat i destí és també punyent i d’un nivell intel·lectual que deixa en evidència el dels periodistes i politòlegs nostrats. Com a mostra reprodueixo aqueix article publicat avui al Yediot Aharonot per la doctora Ruth Kabbesa Abramzon, membre de l’Israel Defense And Security Forum, (una entitat que aplega milers de militars a la reserva): “The Jewish nation is a relay race”.
Social discord is plaguing the country
A survey held by IDSF HaBithonistim in January 2024 shows that a whopping 91% of the Israeli Jewish population believes that the social discord that has been plaguing the country severely undermined our military deterrence towards Hamas. Without a strong and broad base of Jewish identity, Israeli society is in danger of declining and losing its ability to withstand threats.
This discord stems from our disconnect from Judaism
A battle of identities has been raging in Israel for the past decades, and many are turning their backs on their Jewish identity in favor of a “universal” identity. “As once Zionism departed from Judaism, we seemed to have lost our sense of purpose and guiding principles,” Ruth writes. When people disconnect from Judaism as a shared identity, and from collective national feeling, we are unable to conduct a pragmatic discourse on the most vital issues of our existence. It is crucial therefore to understand that having a Jewish state is much more than having a technical majority of Jews – it demands Jewish values as well.
Judaism is our most valid claim for the country’s security
Turning our backs on Jewish identity undermines our most valid claim for the country’s security. Our grandparents came to Israel because they believed that this is the promised land and the remedy for thousands of years of exile. For good reason Ben Gurion said that the bible is our charter – he also understood that without a sense of belonging between the people of Israel and the bible – we have no justification for being in this land”.
We are all people of faith and must act accordingly
“It is inconceivable therefore that two separate camps have allegedly risen in Israel: the faith-based camp and the state-based camp”, Ruth further asserts. There is, she says, no such thing as a faith-based camp– as we are all people of faith. One may be an atheist but still believe in one’s heritage and act accordingly. In order to reconnect as a nation we must then– first and foremost – reconnect to our Jewish identity.
Judicial reform protests revealed a lack of desire for common ground
One of the main propellants that lead Dr. Kabbesa Abramzon to focus on national unity at the present moment was the large protest that raged against the judicial reform. “I also thought that any reform must be done in a manner that includes the public rather than threatens it”, Dr. Abramzon shares. “I came to realize that some of the groups involved in the protests simply have no desire to find common ground,” she concluded.
Lack of Israeli cohesion contributed to Hamas’ attack
And yet, Dr. Abramzon believes that both the rift in Israel’s society and the call to refuse to report for reserves duty on the part of the protest movement played a crucial role in propelling Hamas to commit the heinous attack. “Unity is the sine qua non of the Israeli people’s existence, as history shows that every period of discord only brought calamity on the people of Israel”, she says.
We are seeking to reconnect as a nation with key leadership in media and politics
Many maintain that a society that is a patchwork of cultures such as Israel cannot truly achieve unity. However, it would be wrong to claim that Israeli society is structured on sub-cultures. We are one nation seeking to reconnect. According to Ruth’s perception, unity in Israel’s society is absolutely attainable, but is under threat in two main arenas: the media and politics. These two arenas derive their power from fomenting discord and factionalism. To remedy this state of affairs we need leaders of stature in these areas who would not hesitate to make big changes to put Israel back on a healthy track.
IDSF Habithonistim is committed to promoting complete Israeli identity
“The novelty of the IDSF HaBithonistim is its refusal to align itself with any one camp in the identity war”, Ruth explains. My aspiration is also to see a nation that knows who it is, in a country that is strong and that knows how to incorporate its values of Zionism, Judaism, and democracy into its cultural and educational systems”, she added. To conclude, social discord has severely undermined Israel’s military deterrence towards Hamas. Once Zionism departs from Judaism, we lose our sense of purpose and guiding principles. In order to reconnect as a nation we must– first and foremost – reconnect to our Jewish identity. We need leaders of stature in media and politics to make the big changes necessary.
Post Scriptum, 31 d’agost del 2024.
Una altra reflexió interessant, ahir a The Times of Israel a càrrec de la politòloga Shira Tamir: “One nation under militarism. A reflection on a society at war with itself”.
Israeli society has long been shaped by militarism, so deeply entrenched that it often becomes almost invisible to those who live within it. From compulsory conscription into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to the omnipresence of military symbols in everyday life, education, holidays, politics, and media, militarism is everywhere.
As someone who moved to the States at a young age and often feels like an outsider whenever I return to the country where I was born, this reality is impossible for me to ignore. I mean, where else do citizens of a democratic country choose to tune into a military-run radio station for their music and news? As of 2024, Galgalatz, a station operated by the IDF, boasts 1.3 million listeners, according to Wikipedia. These news updates are provided on an hourly basis, by the way. Every hour, on the hour; keeping you informed about the latest developments in war and politics—just in case you were planning to forget.
This is just one example of how deeply military elements are woven into daily life here, where a state of conflict is not the exception but the norm.
What strikes me most is how deeply this culture of militarism has permeated Israeli identity, infusing it with the colors of blue and white, nationalism, and survivalism. It shapes the national narrative, determining what is remembered, what is forgotten, what is honored, and what is mourned. The militarization of public spaces, the commemoration of military achievements, and the celebration of soldiers as heroes all reinforce the notion that to be Israeli is to be a soldier—or at the very least, an unwavering, unconditional supporter of the military.
But the events of October 7, 2023, brought to light some of the catastrophic failures and inherent contradictions within this militaristic ethos. On that day, the unimaginable happened: Israel was invaded by Hamas, resulting in the brutal murder of over a thousand people and the abduction of more than 250 Israelis and foreigners into Gaza. The violence left many injured, towns devastated, and an entire nation deeply traumatized—a physical, emotional, and psychological blow to its heart and soul.
The very essence of what Israelis have been conditioned to believe in—the invincible might of the IDF—crumbled as the military was conspicuously absent when it was needed most. This was not just a tactical failure; it was a profound betrayal of the societal contract that had been hammered into every Israeli from birth: that their sacrifices, their service, and sometimes their very lives were a necessary offering to the altar of “national security.”
The bitter irony of the IDF’s absence during those critical hours cannot be overstated. Israeli citizens, most of whom have contributed to national security through military service, taxes, or other forms of civic duty, found themselves defenseless in their hour of greatest need. That fateful day revealed a harsh reality: the normalization of militarism has not made Israel safer; it has made it complacent.
The events of October 7th laid bare the fallacy of security through militarism, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. They exposed the vulnerability of a nation that had placed too much faith in the power of arms and too little in the pursuit of peace or diplomacy. This should have been our wake-up call, a moment of national reckoning with the unsustainable path we’ve been on for too long.
Yet, the response has been anything but. The aftermath has not led to a collective questioning of the militaristic mindset; instead, it has seen a retreat into familiar narratives of heroism and sacrifice. Reserve duty has surged, with men and women of all ages being drafted or volunteering, and there is growing pressure on the ultra-Orthodox community to “share the burden” of pain and loss. This refusal to critically examine the very foundations of our society is perhaps the most damning indictment of all.
The Israeli government’s insistence on maintaining this status quo, without actively pursuing a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, defines the nation’s policies. The compulsion to serve in the IDF, while framed as a unifying rite of passage, constantly reinforces the unresolved tensions that simmer beneath the surface. It is a system that perpetuates the cycle of violence and retribution, trapping successive generations in a conflict with seemingly no end in sight.
For me, the tragedy of October 7 is not merely a story of military or government failure; it is a reflection of a deeper societal failure—a failure to envision an Israel that can exist beyond the confines of militarism and war. Until this failure is addressed, it seems inevitable that the cycle will persist—a nation doomed not only by its external realities but by its own self-identity and choices.
Post Scriptum, 1 de setembre del 2024.
Aqueixa crònica de Nadav Eyal, avui al Yediot Arhonot, descriu encertadament la mentalitat i el sentiment del poble jueu avui confrontat a l’assassinat de sis dels ostatges en poder d’Hamàs: “The essence of Israel’s identity: Why Israelis are taking to the streets.”
In the last 24 hours, Israel has witnessed the largest demonstrations since the horrific events of October 7. The leadership of the Workers’ Union has announced a general strike for Monday. The catalyst for these protests is the terrible news Israel received on Saturday night: Hamas executed six hostages on Friday: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alex Lubnov, 33; and Carmel Gat, 40. Now friends and observers from abroad are asking why Israelis would direct their anger toward their own government.
The answer is rooted in a consensus that has emerged within Israel’s security apparatus – an alarming consensus that cuts across the defense minister, the chief of staff and the head of Mossad. They believe that the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is jeopardizing a genuine opportunity to bring the hostages home. The demands the government is making, which appear to lack any substantial security value, seem to be driven more by political calculation than by a strategic imperative.
No one in Israel is under any illusions about Hamas. This is a group that has committed acts of mass murder, abduction, rape and looting. Israelis are fully aware that Hamas bears the ultimate responsibility for the nightmare the country is living through. But there is a fundamental expectation – especially from the families of the hostages and those who have already been returned, whether alive or dead – that the Israeli government will exhaust every possible avenue to secure their return. This expectation includes a willingness to engage in a deal, no matter how painful or politically risky.
Israel has already achieved significant milestones in the negotiations, including a tacit understanding from key moderating countries and even from Hamas itself that any deal to release hostages would not spell the end of the war. The Israel Defense Forces would continue its operations against Hamas after an interim deal that was supposed to see the release of between 18 and 30 hostages – some of whom were brutally executed by Hamas days ago.
The tragedy is that most Israelis no longer trust their government. Netanyahu’s administration has not won the confidence of the public in any reputable poll since March 2023 – long before the horror of October 7 – and certainly not since. Polls consistently show that Israelis believe the prime minister is more concerned with his political survival, particularly keeping the far-right elements in his coalition happy, than with the safe return of the hostages. The fear that a catastrophic electoral defeat could spell the end of his political career seems to loom larger than any other consideration.
This is the context in which dozens of thousands of Israelis, including many reservists, have taken to the streets in protest, even in the midst of war. Their demand is simple: that the government do everything in its power to bring the hostages back home. They protest with the full understanding that it’s not only up to the government, that the enemy is cruel and calculating, but that this is precisely why the government must rise to the occasion.
This demand is about far more than exerting political pressure on the government. It’s about the essence of what it means to be Israeli. At the heart of Israeli society is a profound commitment to solidarity, encapsulated in the Mishnah’s teaching that saving one soul is akin to saving the entire world. The belief that Israel will do everything – not just through military might, which is undisputed, but also through political moderation and compromise – to bring home those who were kidnapped from their beds by a merciless enemy is central to Israeli identity.
The actions of this government, however, have unmoored that identity. The government’s failure isn’t just in not bringing all the hostages home. There are two sides to this deal, and one of those sides is a group of mass murderers committed to annihilating Israel. The real failure of the government lies in its inability to convince the public and every expert involved in the negotiations that they are acting in good faith and are genuinely committed to upholding the values that define Israeli identity. This is why people are demonstrating.
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